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// story concept: Strands? 
// Story: What If... 
// by TheMajorTechie 
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I see strands.

Little strings that appear when I close my eyes. Chords. Wires. Whatever you call 'em.

They connect us all. Me to you, you to your friends, and so on. Each and every one of us is linked. There is no such thing as an untied fate.

And yet, I found one.

The lonely peg.

The disconnected.

The confused.

I looked up from the mirror. I didn't feel any different. I didn't... think any different? I leaned closer, studying my face. Barely-visible freckles. Slightly crooked teeth. Imperfect, but still alright as alright goes. Not that there was any chance I'd ever look like one of those big-shot celebrities, anyway.

I blinked. For a moment, the world became doused in black. Strings of all sizes and colors stretched forever on and on wherever I looked. Even the inanimate objects--the ground beneath my feet, the mirror I was looking at--were connected.

I stepped over the strings of the ground. I didn't want to break it like I did the strings of the family cat years ago.

And suddenly, it was bright again. The strings were gone. At least, until next time. I really need to find a way to control it better. I'm almost out of eyedrops as it is.

Faraway, I heard the sirens of an approaching fire truck. I wonder which barbecue exploded this time?

I shut my eyes, plunging myself willingly back into the darkness. In front of me, seemingly stretching forever on and on, sprawled the massive network of strands I'd come to know. Something tugged me to the left. A nearby strand was growing taught. I'd better loosen it before anything bad happens again.

I swam my way through the milky air toward the string. All around it were its already-severed sister strands. I shook my head. A little too late, from the look of it. Not that there was much I could do about it this time around. I gripped the remaining string. It was taut alright. Any more tension would make it snap just like the others around it.

And here came... well, I really don't know what else to call it besides "magic". Yeah, it's a pretty stupid name, but it's all I've got. I reached out, pulling closer a nearby bundle of additional strings. While I couldn't necessarily lengthen a string all by itself, I could still... lend? Borrow? Whatever the case, I wrapped the other strings around the one on the verge of snapping, clasping my hands tightly around the bulky tangle. This should keep the string protected for some time. At least, until something happens in the real world that can help support it. Loosen it up so that it doesn't need any reinforcing like it does now.

I guess my work here is done.

My body lurched back into the real world. I stood up, brushing myself off and scowling at the people surrounding me. "What? You ever see a dude faint in public before?"

"Are you--"

"Yes," I sigh. "I'm okay."

Thankfully, it seems like the sirens in the distance have stopped. That means whatever they were called to was either a false alarm, or they've already finished their work. Either option was a good outcome in my book.

I glanced again at the mirror. At me.

The only one with no fate.